Earthquake: 4.9 quake strikes near Palm Springs, followed by aftershocks
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake was reported Friday night about 23 miles south of Palm Springs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake at 6:53 p.m. occurred 11 miles southeast of Anza, 18 miles southwest of Palm Desert, 18 miles northwest of Borrego Springs, 23 miles southwest of Indio and 36 miles east of Temecula.
The epicenter was in a remote mountainous area, where strong shaking was recorded. But the closest cities in the Coachella Valley encountered only light shaking, which can rattle dishes and windows but does not cause damage.
According to the USGS, the quake was felt across a wide area of San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties, with people as far as Los Angeles also reporting that they felt it. It was followed by several aftershocks in the same area — a magnitude 3.7 quake at 7:05 p.m., a 3.2 at 7:59 p.m., a 3.6 at 9:07 p.m. and a 3.5 at 10:12 p.m.
On Twitter, earthquake expert Lucy Jones said the first quake hit either near or on the San Jacinto fault, which she said has seen many quakes of that range over the years.
No damage was reported.
The number of new cases increased by more than 1,000 in 48 hours. Los Angeles County has emerged as California’s coronavirus epicenter.
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.6 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
The first version of this story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published, and it was subsequently revised by a Times journalist. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.
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